Demi Vollering captured her second Tour de France Femmes title with a commanding performance on the final climbs near Nice, surpassing her closest rival, Kasia Niewiadoma, by 1 minute and 18 seconds. The decisive moment came on the Col d’Èze, where the Dutch cyclist launched a powerful attack approximately 600 meters from the summit, distancing herself from Niewiadoma, who had been the 2024 champion. Throughout the climb, Niewiadoma had relentlessly tried to challenge Vollering but was unable to maintain the pace.
The win for Vollering unfolded against a backdrop of a tactical disagreement between her and Niewiadoma during the previous stage. Niewiadoma had accused Célia Gery, a member of Vollering’s team, of impeding her progress during a critical part of the race, which led to heated discussions and scrutiny from both riders in the lead-up to the final stage. Despite the tension, Niewiadoma recognized Vollering’s superior performance, acknowledging that the Dutch rider’s strength left no room for contention as she expressed her desire for fair competition.
Vollering expressed her hope that her victory would highlight her team’s rightful claim to the triumph based purely on athletic merit. Niewiadoma, finishing in second place overall, maintained her impressive streak of podium finishes in the recent iterations of the Tour, solidifying her status as a prominent competitor.
The final stage posed challenges beyond the duel between Vollering and Niewiadoma. Marlen Reusser, who started the day in third position in the overall standings, faced a setback after a crash while descending the Col d’Èze. The incident significantly impacted her standing, causing her to fall to 14th place in the general classification, marking a difficult end to what had been a promising campaign.